Use What You Have, Where You Are.

Here’s One Secret to Always Staying Ahead

Looking too often at what we don’t have misleads us into overlooking the things we do have. The greatest advantage you possess is what you already have.

Constantly focusing on what we lack often blinds us to the resources we already possess. Your greatest asset is what you have right now.

Consider the French, who, despite not having gold mines, became one of the countries with the largest gold reserves in the world. Sometimes, all you have is your mind. Other times, it’s your ability to communicate, your father’s old car, or even your tough experiences with poverty, that give you a unique story no one else has.

Everyone has something that can be their starting point for success. Identifying this gives you a step ahead of the crowd. The more you recognize and hone your advantages, the better your chances of success. Sometimes, your strength may be your ability to follow well, even when you aspire to lead. It’s important not to lose sight of this skill. The best followers often turn out to be great leaders.

So today, look for your advantage and start leveraging it.

Remember, when a blacksmith shapes metal, it’s not an adrenaline-filled, exciting moment. It’s often boring, even depressing — a moment of total suffering. But that’s what it takes. The best results emerge from the furnace; there’s no shortcut.

Your boring moments are your moments of transformation. Embrace them, hone them, and use them to shape your future.

Every blacksmith loves a result that comes out neat and good, so much so that they almost forget the painstaking work that went into it. But they can’t forget the process, especially if they want to keep producing results. The memory of the pain, the process, the boredom, and the feeling of dying makes starting again harder. But the victory comes in pushing through regardless.

Your first win isn’t when everyone celebrates your results:

• Your first win is when you take the first step to undergo a refining process.
• Your second win is when you persist despite the pain and struggles.
• Your third win is your result.
• Your final and greatest win is the fact that you’ve just given yourself a big opportunity to do something worthwhile with what you have and your time in life!